Better the Devil You Know
by MikeJaffa
Summary: Quasi-AU: Princess Corall moves in when Lotor loses interest in Allura.
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Better the Devil You Know

AUTHOR: MikeJaffa

SYNOPSIS: Quasi-AU: Princess Corall moves in when Lotor loses interest in Allura.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to Voltron - World Events does - and I am not making any money off the publication of this fan fic.

A/N: I say "quasi-AU" because I saw the original series in the 1980's, skimped over the 3-D one, and didn't know "Voltron Force" existed until I stumbled on it on Netflix. But I've had my own take on Lotor and Allura for almost 30 years. Why not express it now?

A/N 2: Princess Corall appeared in "Sleeping Princess."

/

/

/

/

'Allura, you left me to die.'

The thought went over and over through Prince Lotor's mind as he knelt in his father's throne room, enduring yet another berating for yet another defeat at the hands of the Voltron force. But for once, Lotor felt neither fear for his own fate nor anger at his defeat nor determination that he could win next time. Because one thought obscured it all. One thought was like the sun breaking through the clouds, illuminating a landscape he had always known was there but had never seen … or had never let himself see.

One thought changed everything.

'Allura, you left me to die.'

/

/

"Allura!" Lotor smiled as he burst through the door. He was exhausted and his shirt was torn, but seeing her after following the sound of the weapons fire made him ecstatic.

Allura sat against the stone wall across from the door. The stone-walled room in the ruined castle was flooded with ankle deep water, dead beasts between her and him; and she sat on a chunk of fallen masonry, against the far wall. Her hair was a mess, her face dirty, and her Voltron Force uniform torn. A hose extended out into the water from a door to her left.

Allura aimed her pistol with one hand, the other pressing against her thigh. Lotor could see blood on her fingers.

She said, "You take one step closer and I'll blow your head off."

'Such fire,' Lotor thought. He couldn't stand princesses who were so ludicrously deferential. Allura, at least, had a backbone. He knew they would be an excellent team when she finally came around to see the wisdom of marrying him.

He said, "You're hurt. I can help you."

"If it's in exchange for being your bride, I'd rather die."

Lotor took a step closer. "How about in exchange for living long enough to think about it?"

"I'd still say no, but yeah, ok." She lowered her pistol.

Lotor splashed over to her. She took her hand from the gash in her leg.

"Ok," he said. "It doesn't look all that deep. I can cauterize it." He reached into his utility belt and pulled out a short foam stick. "Bite this."

Allura nodded and put it in her mouth. Lotor removed another small metal tube from his belt and thumbed a stud; a short energy blade appeared. He touched it against the wound. Allura cried out as her jaw almost crushed the tube.

"Almost there…" Lotor said. "Got it!" He turned the blade off. As Allura took the tube out of her mouth, Lotor produced a small hypo gun. "Broad spectrum antibiotic and universal anti-venom." He pressed it against her arm and squeezed the trigger. The gun hissed. He holstered it and sat down next to her and took off his helmet, and blew out a breath. "There. Good as new."

"I never thought I would hear myself say this, but thank you, Lotor."

"You're welcome Allura."

They sat there, tired and breathing deeply, eyes closed.

Allura said, "So how's your plan for capturing Voltron Force going?"

"We've had some unforeseen difficulties," Lotor said. It had seemed simple enough: Leak to Voltron Force that Haggar was visiting the homeworld of her coven. They wouldn't pass up the chance to capture her. And so, the trap would be sprung.

But Coven World had turned out to be full of unforeseen dangers for both Voltron Force and his forces, and Lotor didn't know if Haggar had planned that or if she really was as surprised as she sounded the last time they had spoken on the radio. But everyone had been caught in traps and fought all sorts of beasts. Lotor had seen the Blue Lion forced down in a ruined castle. He'd followed it, hoping to find Allura … and had had to fight his way to her.

Lotor asked, "How's your plan of escape coming along?"

"Fine, despite some minor snags," Allura said. "I'm out of here as soon as my lion finishes recharging." She pointed to the hose. "Nanobots and white magic - Just add water. Gotta love it."

"Well, at least you have a ship. Mine has been trashed."

"So I'm your ride out of here."

"Looks like it."

"That's an interesting wrinkle."

"I was just thinking that."

"You'd think we'd fought these battles before."

Lotor smiled slightly. "Maybe one or two."

They sat there.

Lotor said, "So, in exchange for passage off this rock, would you allow me to be your flight engineer?"

"You're an engineer? For real?"

Lotor nodded. "I've been tinkering since I was a little boy. I designed my fighter and I have a hand in almost every robeast." He lowered his voice. "Don't tell my father, but I'd rather build something than lead troops into battle any day."

"Huh. I didn't know that. But I speak for a lot of people when I say it would have been better if you had been an engineer."

"Uh…I'll take it as a compliment."

"Whatever."

"So, what about you, Allura?"

"What about me, Lotor?"

"What do you like to do?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

Allura thought about it. "I guess I liked getting away from the castle. Even if it's to fight you. After my parents died, I was raised by Coran and the servants. I used to play in the garden and imagine I would be somewhere else, anywhere else. That a handsome prince would take me somewhere exotic." She smirked. "Well, at least you're handsome. And I dig the cat eyes. I'll give you those points. But other than that, you're a total scumbag. Not quite what I had in mind."

"Don't knock it 'til you try it."

"Pass. But thanks for the offer."

"No problem." He scratched his head. "Oddly enough, Allura, we have something in common. My mother died in childbirth, so I was raised by my father and Witch Haggar. I found plenty of ways to amuse myself around that castle. Not getting caught was even trickier. So I know what it's like to be stuck in a castle and want to get out. And I thought I would find a beautiful princess among the stars who would be my bride. And you're definitely-"

"Wait a minute, Lotor. No children your own age? Ever?"

"Some slave children were brought in to play with me from time to time."

"I hardly think that counts." Allura couldn't take her eyes off her mortal enemy. "Wow. I never thought of that. That might explain some things."

"What do you-"

The hose abruptly retreated through the door. Allura's wrist com chimed.

Allura looked at the small screen and dropped her hand. "Lion's done. How do you want to play this? Same old same old?"

"It does follow a pattern, doesn't it?" Lotor said.

"Yeah, I noticed."

Lotor looked around. "What the hell. It's been a long day and everything that could go wrong went. What say we call it a draw?"

"Deal," Allura said.

"In exchange for-"

"Don't push your-"

"..llura?" Keith's voice sounded over the com. "Come in!"

Voices also came over Lotor's radio. He unclipped it from his belt, nodded to Allura, and got up, walking away as he gave orders.

Allura brought her wrist to her mouth. "Allura here."

"Are you all right?"

"Been better. Listen, Keith, Lotor and I-"

"Lotor's there? Has he hurt you? If that son of a-"

"KEITH. I-Lotor… believe it or not, he helped me, gave me some first aide. He and I…if you can believe what he said, we're calling this one a draw. I hope. I'm getting him out of here in the Blue Lion. And I'll need medical attention when we get back home."

"You sound groggy."

"I lost some blood. But we get home, I'll be fine."

"Ok. But hurry, we've got incoming bogies."

Coming back over to her, Lotor said, "That can't be - I just gave the stand down order."

"Maybe not everyone got the memo," Keith said. "God knows today has been extra crazy. You want a ride off this rock on Voltron, you've got to hustle."

Pidge cut in: "And then what do we do with him?"

Allura said, "Lotor's repatriation is my business - that's what the 'princess' in front of my name means. We'll work it out later; for now we have to get out of here. Just be in position. We'll be there."

Kieth said, a little surprise in his voice, "Yes, Ma'am."

Lotor smiled down at her. "You're getting the hang of it."

"You'll forgive me if I preferred if someone other than you critiqued me."

"Command is command no matter who gives it."

"That's a point." She put her helmet on and stood up…

… and stumbled.

Lotor caught her. "You've lost blood-"

"I'll be fine."

"No, I've got you." He slung one of her arms over his shoulders; Allura drew her pistol and aimed as they went through the door to the huge courtyard where the blue lion waited under the night sky.

They stopped. Allura said, "You can see in the dark better than I can. Any of the locals around?"

"No. Ship looks sound."

"Then let's move."

They got across the space, and Lotor helped her up the lion's head to the hatch on top. He got in first and helped her down to the pilot's seat from the rear seat. She was still rocky on her feet.

Lotor said, "You up to this?"

"Do you really care?" Allura asked. "Or do you just want to fly my ship?"

Lotor smiled. "Yes."

Allura started flipping switches. "I'll be ok. When we reform Voltron, Keith will do the driving and I'll take a nap-" She broke off. "Oh, hell. Main power's on, but the engines won't start."

"Let's have a look." Lotor consulted his consoles. "Everything looks sound, but one of the main engine control computers isn't starting. Showing electrical failure. My guess is there was a power surge and the circuit breakers tripped. Schematic shows they're behind an exterior rear panel by the left rear leg. I'll get it."

Allura touched the control for the hatch. As Lotor climbed out, Allura said, "Hey…don't get yourself killed. We won't be able to execute you."

Lotor smiled. "We can't have that." He turned serious. "Close the hatch until I'm done just to be safe."

After Allura closed the hatch behind him, Pidge's voice sounded in her headset: "What the heck happened down there?"

Allura said, "Not now, Pidge."

/

/

Lotor found the hatch and opened it. Behind was a large junction box. Lotor opened it and shoved the three breakers back to closed. The lion rumbled to life. Lotor closed the box and the panel and stepped back.

The he saw something above them. He looked and saw something gleaming with a contrail behind it.

"Dark spawn," he cursed as he ran for cover under the portico. He hit the ground and covered his head as the missile hit.

Lotor turned around. The lion was intact, but there was a blast crater between him and it.

Then he heard a hiss. Shapes - misshapen humanoid forms with glowing eyes, claws, with spikes or fur, shambled out the portico. Some were close enough they would get to him before he reached the lion.

Lotor rose to a crouch and drew his sword with one hand and his long dagger with his other hand.

/

/

The main engine rumbled to life, telltales on Allura's console echoing it.

Allura smiled. "Guys-he did it! We're good to-" Radar beeped. "Incomin-"

A BOOM rocked the cockpit.

Keith radioed, "Allura! Are you all right?"

"I'm fine-" Allura answered. "Blue's good-"

Lance said, "We've got more bogies, and it looks like a robeast is incoming. Maybe Lotor's got a labor relations problem."

Keith radioed, "How soon can you launch?"

Allura called up exterior cameras. "Right now. I just have to find … Where is…Lotor's ok!"

Hunk deadpanned, "Yay."

"He just restarted the lion, Hunk-" She saw the shapes clustering around him. "Oh, no."

/

/

Lotor sprang at the nearest humanoid. It roared and charged, swinging, but its claws missed him as he slashed it. It fell and he spun and cut into another creature coming up behind him. He spun and charged and cut, scattering the creatures with thrusts and slashes from his blades.

But then a large creature charged him faster than he expected. It body slammed him and sent them through the wall, and down a small embankment.

/

/

Allura watched as Lotor lept into battle with the monsters. "Guys- Lotor's in trouble-"

"Good!" Lance snapped. "Saved us the cost of a trial."

"Lance-"

"Allura. It's LOTOR. He deserves what he gets."

"But-"

Keith said, "Lance, knock it off! Allura, I hear what you're saying, but we don't have time. There's a robeast at 40 klicks and closing. We need Voltron now."

Allura was torn. Lance was right. Lotor's crimes were without number, his hands stained with the blood of her friends and family, not to mention legions of innocent civilians. He'd ground whole worlds under his boot, and - when she'd been aboard Voltron during battle with his forces - he had tried to kill her. And the thought of being married to him made her skin crawl; being captured by him had been the stuff of her nightmares. And Keith was right that their only chance of getting off Coven World in the face of an incoming robeast was to form Voltron; she knew was there was no time to rescue Lotor - as incongruous as that thought was - and save themselves.

But by restarting the lion, he had saved her life. And if they left him to die, were they any better than him?

Keith said, "Allura-"

"Keith! Let me think!"

"There's nothing to think about!"

On the screen, a monster body slammed Lotor and pushed him out of its field of view.

"Lotor!" Allura cried involuntarily.

"Allura," Keith shouted, "will you listen to your-" He broke off and calmed down. "Allura. Listen to me. You want to be compassionate to an enemy. That's admirable. Hell, if I were down there, I might pull him out of there myself. But we don't have time. Lotor can take care of himself. He's got out of worse pickles - survived dozens of battles with us. He'll be fine. We won't be if we don't have The Big Guy when that robeast is in range. We need Voltron NOW."

Allura took one more look at the screen. "Sorry," she whispered, and pulled back on the controls. The blue lion lept to the sky.

/

/

As the monster and Lotor tumbled down the embankment, he still managed to stab it. When they landed, he was on top of it and plunged his sword into its chest.

Three more monsters charged down the embankment from the wall. He dispatched the first two easily, but the third one was more trouble. Then he heard the lion's engine get louder.

"Allura-" He crossed both blades in an 'X' centered on the monster's throat and cut its head off with a ripping motion. He started up the embankment just as the lion lept into the sky; he saw the other four in the distance, banking to rendezvous with the blue one.

"No…" He muttered. Allura couldn't have planned to betray him. There must have been some emergency, some need to form Voltron. No, Allura was the one person he would not expect intentional treachery from.

But she had still left him …. And she had to have known…

Movement got his attention. He realized another monster was charging him. Then everything went black.

'Allura…'

He opened his eyes. Haggar and his troops were standing over him, the witch's lips moving in a silent incantation ….

'…you…'

…darkness again …then… he saw the interior of a Doom cruiser, its medical bay, obscured by something gold….

'…left…'

….movement…the…gold whatever he was in, being carried/transported across a landing field, Haggar always nearby….

'…me…'

…his father's face… was that concern in Zarkon's eyes? Or disgust at his failure?….

'…to…'

…Haggar's lair inside the castle, obscured by…Lotor was floating naked in a bubble of blue fluid…his body tingled all over, but he could see he was intact. He touched his face; it felt the same as always….

'…die.'

He floated down to the floor as the fluid dissolved around him. Lotor got on his hands and knees and coughed up more fluid.

Haggar was at his elbow. "Welcome back, my prince."

He sat on his knees. "A mirror."

She had one already. "You are restored and as handsome as ever," she said as he studied his reflection.

Lotor stood and found himself unsteady on his feet as a slave put a blanket around him. "Who launched the robeast?" he said.

"It was on your father's orders," Haggar said.

"What a surprise. Let me guess: by saving Allura and powering up the blue lion, I gave them a chance to form Voltron. They destroyed the robeast and escaped."

Haggar nodded. "Good guess."

A guard stepped forward. "Your highness, your father has commanded you to appear before him as soon as you are able."

Lotor nodded and turned to the slave. "Bring me dry clothing. I will not face my father looking like a beggar on the street."

/

/

"Well?" King Zarkon said. "Come on Lotor, let's hear it. Tell me you just need another one more chance."

At the foot of the king's dais, Haggar scrutinized Lotor, downcast on one knee. Like dozens of times before. Only…

… only she sensed it was not like those times. But she couldn't say how.

"Well?" Zarkon demanded.

"Yes," Lotor said, "yes, if you still covet Arus."

"Of course I covet it!"

"Then yes, Father, I am still of much use to you. The Arus problem is not intractable. Give me another chance and I can conquer it for you, as I have conquered other worlds."

Thought Lotor's voice as emphatic, he somehow lacked the passion of previous commitments. Zarkon frowned. He rose from the throne, descended the dais, and stood in front of his son.

Zarkon said, "Rise."

Lotor stood.

"Lotor, are you all right?"

"Concern, Father?"

"You are my son and the commander-in-chief of my armed forces. I need to know that you can fulfill your duties."

"And deliver Arus unto you. Of course I can. The problem is merely more intractable than others, but they can not stay free of us forever."

Zarkon scrutinized his son. "All right then. You may go."

"Father." Lotor bowed and left the throne room. The courtiers milled around, whispering.

Haggar came to stand beside Zarkon.

Zarkon asked, "Is he all right? His injuries were severe." He thought. "Perhaps I was premature in ordering in the robeast-"

"It's not his injuries," Haggar said, "and it's not the robeast. I'm not sure what it is. But I sense something happened between him and Allura. I don't know what. But he's changed as a result of it."

/

/

Lotor stood at a covered walkway overlooking the palace courtyard, with a view over the wall and the blasted landscape of Planet Doom. He'd mouthed the words to his father, but felt no passion, no determination behind them. For once, he didn't even have half an idea of how to attack Arus. Nor did it bother him that his father had ordered in the robeast. For one thought burned in his brain. One thought shone like the sun through the clouds, illuminating a landscape he had not allowed himself to see.

One thought had changed everything.

'Allura, you left me to die.'


	2. Chapter 2

Keith, his three team mates, and Nanny and Coran rose from their chairs as the doctor came out of the castle's emergency ward.

Nanny rushed over to him. "Give it to me straight, Doctor! How is she? What did that…that…monster, Lotor do to her?"

The doctor was brown-haired in a blue medical uniform. He smiled. "While I would normally be one of the first to say Prince Lotor should be taken out and shot, it seems that we owe him a debt of gratitude. There was a poison in her system that would have killed her before she got halfway home. The anti-venom she says he gave her stopped it."

Relief swept through the small group; Lance quipped, "Whaddya know - having a stalker actually came in handy for once."

"She's not completely out of the woods yet," the doctor said. "The venom has been counteracted, but there's some concern about whether the anti-venom has any side-effects. Drule physiology is close to human but not quite; we're going to keep he in the wing over night and do some more blood work to be sure. But based on what I'm seeing now, unless something changes overnight, she'll be fine."

Keith said, "Thanks, Doc. When can we see her?"

"Actually, Commander, she wants to see you right now."

Allura smiled as everyone filed in. The sun had set, and rain pattered on the window.

Keith gripped her hand. "Hey how you feeling?"

"Like crap." She turned to Coran. "Coran, what news on Lotor? Did he get home ok?"

"It's hard to say," Coran answered, "but planet Doom has gone quiet. If he had died, their propaganda machine would have swung into high gear to blame us. So no news is …good…news, I suppose."

"He saved my life twice over, Coran. It's hard to ignore that."

Keith sat on the edge of the bed. "Meaning what?"

"What do you mean, 'meaning what'? It's a fact, Keith. I'd be dead - WE'D be dead if not for him. Oddly enough."

Hunk said, "Yeah, but…it sounds like…"

Nanny interrupted, "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing," Allura said. "I don't think he could have done anything if he wanted to. He looked like he'd been through the ringer, too."

Keith nodded. "That was a cluster…" He caught Nanny's look. "…mess for both sides this time."

Allura nodded. "We just talked for a minute. He told me he's an engineer; and that he was raised by Zarkon and Haggar after his mom died when he was born. I keep envisioning a little boy all alone in that castle, learning to be cruel even if it tore him apart inside. It's hard to stay angry at someone who is what-"

Lance snapped, "Bull! Ok, he saved your life, but we all know he would have let anyone else die, and we all know what he wants from you. You cut this guy any slack at all, you're playing into his hands. You of all people know what he's done, right?"

"Do I know what he's done?" Allura grimaced. "You damn well bet I know! There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about the crimes he and his father have committed, that I don't know the names and faces of the people he's hurt. Don't you dare tell me what I do and don't know!"

Lance raised his hands. "Whoa, easy, Princess, I-"

"That's right," Allura yelled, "I'm a princess! That's not a nickname. I'm not just some girl who lives in a drafty old house you found. I am a real, bona fide, honest to Gods princess. I am Her Royal Highness Princess Allura XIV, reigning sovereign and lady protector of Arus! None of you idiots should be standing in my presence. The only reason we have any familiarity is because *I* allow it. Do I know what he's done? Absolutely. That doesn't mean I can't be grateful to him for saving my life. And if you can't understand that, Lance, then that's your problem. Now, I have had enough. All of you, get out!"

Keith backed away. "All right…Your Highness. We're going." He bowed slightly; he and the other boys filed out, Nanny behind them.

Coran stood stiffly at the foot of the bed. "Will that be all, Your Highness?"

'Great,' Allura thought, 'after months of bucking protocol, it'll take him forever not to convince him not to follow it.' She said. "No, Coran. That will be all. Good night."

"Good night, Your Highness." He took a step away, then stopped and turned back. "Your Highness, may I ask a personal question?"

"You can ask me anything, Coran. You know that."

"Your explosion cut off any discussion about your feelings for Prince Lotor."

"I know."

"Convenient."

"You could say that."

He stepped closer. "Exactly what are your feelings for him?"

"Are you asking me if, in spite of everything, I am in love with him?"

Coran nodded.

"That's a good question, Coran, and to be honest with you, I don't know what to tell you. I'm scared of him, I hate him, and I know his crimes by heart. But I was still afraid he'd died saving me. I can't imagine life without looking over my shoulder for him, and I don't even know why. If Lotor and I can be said to have a relationship, then it's probably safe to say it's pretty complicated. More complicated than you would think at first blush."

The old retainer smiled. "That sounds about right. I'll see you in the morning, Princess."


	3. Chapter 3

"Well, my prince!" Haggar entered Lotor's hangar-sized workshop with half a dozen scrolls under her arm. "I still have a couple of evil ideas in me, but these plans will work for sure."

"You've said that before," Lotor said quietly. He was standing at the holographic near one end of the huge room, Allura's hologram floating before him.

Hagar bowed. "We have had setbacks, my prince, but I am sure-"

"That's not the point. We do this over and over again. And for what?" He paused. "*I* do this over and over again."

Lotor touched a control and Allura's image vanished. As he shambled to the throne at the end of the room and picked up a goblet from a nearby table, Haggar put the scrolls down on the holographic table and wondered at Lotor's melancholy. She'd never seen him like this.

She prompted, "My prince?"

Lotor mounted his throne and sipped his drink. "Haggar, if I ask you an straightforward question, will you give me an honest answer?"

"Uh…"

"I ask you to speak your mind, without fear of sanction." Lotor smiled wryly. "After all these years, if you can't act like a friend to me, who can?"

"All right."

"Have I made a complete fool of myself in pursuing Allura?"

"Ooh."

"Say what you will, witch, whatever it is."

"You have been mocked, Prince Lotor, that is true, but honestly, I wouldn't." She smiled. "Some believe evil people shouldn't feel love or affection. I think that's poppycock, like saying a flower should never bloom in a desert. For beings like us to feel love is a beautiful thing, and we shouldn't be ashamed to admit it." She stepped closer. "She's young, pretty, occasionally ruthless though not too much, and she's become a decent fighter and pilot considering that she was raised in seclusion. Definitely a force to be reckoned with. No one can fault you for feeling attracted to her. If anything, in some ways, she is a good match for you."

"But," Lotor prompted.

"But," Haggar said. "You've assumed that she would see your assaults on people close to her as the strong culling the weak and ultimately come around to you."

Lotor nodded. "Of course."

"Yes, and if it was any evil princess, that would certainly work. But, my prince, the simple truth of the matter is Allura's mind doesn't work that way. She's motivated by compassion for the weak, and would empathize with them. So by hurting or killing those close to her…"

"I've achieved the exact opposite of what I've wanted. Instead of loving me, she hates me."

Haggar nodded.

"I know," Lotor said. "Intellectually, I've always known. But I thought I could get around it. I thought if I pressed hard enough, sooner or later, she'd come around. She's still a princess, after all; that's a powerful position by its nature. She can't ignore power, anymore than a fish can ignore water.

"But this last fight…I saved her life, and she left me to die."

"My prince…Lotor, I think you're being too harsh in your judgment. I'm certain Allura didn't intend to betray you. They were probably responding to the approach of the robeast-"

"I know, but the fact that even in that circumstance, abandoning me was even an option for her, that gave me a moment of clarity. I realized that I have been keeping myself in denial all this time. The truth has been right in front of me all along, and that truth is this: Not only do I not have a chance with her, not only have I never had one in the first place, but everything I've done has only steeled her resolve against me."

"I'm afraid so."

"And realizing that makes it all so pointless. If there's no chance of winning Allura over, why bother attacking Arus again? I'll admit, Voltron is very cool. Don't deny it; you think so, too. But there has to be a benefit for all the costs we've incurred in one failed attack after another. If I can't even have the personal payoff of Allura loving me, then there doesn't seem much point to it; there are only nine angles the blazing swords can cut or thrust from in blowing up a robeast, and we exhausted them seventeen robeasts ago."

"You could always destroy Arus in retaliation for her rejecting you, Prince Lotor."

"The thought occurred to me, Haggar, but apart from the question of whether that would work any better than our other plans, in truth, right now, I want nothing to do with Arus, or her. It's….painful to think about it. Yet the thought of turning away is also disconcerting. For the first time in my life, I don't know what to do."

"Well now," Haggar said, "I think it's a good sign that you're evaluating the situation. An honest assessment of your personal relationship will allow you to go forward politically. And you do have a relationship with her, Lotor, even if it's not what you wanted. Hatred counts as a type of emotional bond. That you are beginning to recognize that, I think this is a sign of maturity. Beyond that…You know what? Those plans I brought? I may want a few days to refine them. So why don't you take some time off?"

"Time off?"

"Yes. Why don't you go to Hedonia for a few days? Gamble in the cassino, take in the slave gladiators, amuse yourself in their brothels. Arus isn't going anywhere, and we can look at this when you get back."

Lotor smiled. "All right, Haggar. Thank you."


End file.
